Know Your Crazy; Own your Crazy

Who are you kidding? You’ve got some crazy going on there. I can see it in your eyes. (OK, not really. I don’t live in your computer. Crazy.) Everyone has something they’re crazy over. Just like everyone has their own flavor of nerd, we all have our own crazy. Some people are a level of germ phobic. Others have Daddy issues. You may have separation anxiety. People are Obsessive Compulsive. They have anxiety disorders. Some struggle with denial as a coping mechanism. Or are prone to jealousy or depression. Some have obsessive personalities. Some are Narcissistic; paranoid; ragers. (But enough about my mother in law… bad dum tss.)

If you’re sitting there thinking you don’t have anything you’re crazy about, you’re probably part of the problem. Because I promise you, there’s something. If you really want to know, ask an ex; they’re definitely gonna know what’s wrong with you. It’s important to identify your crazy, though; Mostly because you’re not going to be able to adjust your life unless you do.

Oh, I know! Let’s do steps. I like steps. (Part of my crazy is a need for organization.)

Step One. Identify Yo Crazy.

If you already know it, then this is easy peasy lemon squeesy. But make sure you’ve identified the right one. Like, if you’re OCD to the point your hands are chaffed and bleeding daily, maaaaaaybe don’t waste your time identifying that you’re a possessive girlfriend. How do you identify your crazy? That’s not exactly easy, but it’s not that hard, most of the time. But you can start by asking yourself some questions. What negatively impacts your day? Does how you respond to bad things make it worse? Do you feel guilty for any particular behaviors? Those questions may tiptoe on the answer. If not, do you have an unusually blunt friend? (And can you handle the answer? If you can’t, maybe sensitivity is your crazy. Wimp.)

Step Two. Assess Yo Crazy.

How bad, exactly, is this crazy? A blunt friend will do this for you again. If you don’t have that type of friend, keep track for a week and see how often it negatively affects you. Does it effect you multiple times daily? Then it’s is a pretty big deal. If we’re talking once or twice a week, for a few minutes at a time. Meeeeh. When you’re at this step, try to keep track how often it affects your loved ones, too. No, the fact that you curse uncontrollably doesn’t negatively impact you frequently, but your 5 year old struggles daily at school because of it. (Shit. I just realized that is not a hypothetical, I should learn to watch my damned mouth.) Which Brings us to…

Step Three. Fix yo Self.

This is the hard one. (Obviously.) But it’s the absolute most important. It’s so important to accept and confront that just because you have crazy doesn’t mean you have to live crazy. Your life can be better. There IS a fix. This could be anything from taking a pottery class to years of therapy to a quick pill pop. But man, and I can’t stress this enough: You don’t have to live with your crazy. Too many people just accept it without trying for anything better. You own it, yeah. But fix what you can. There’s pain, there’s pain relief. Stress and yoga. Anxiety; medications. Severe emotional baggage, and therapy. If it’s negatively affecting you or those around you, do something. Even if you can’t just “fix it” the journey in trying is nothing but good for you to take, anyways.

As a related note here, I’ve heard soooo many people identify their crazy, assess it poorly and decline to fix it.

So. Do you know your crazy? Have you taken strides to minimize it’s effect on you and the world? If you’re an incredibly well adjusted person you may have subconsciously done all these steps years ago. For all the “You should know yourself and strive to become the best you possible” reasons, sure. But really, the world could do with fewer unleashed crazies. So identify and assess. Because I really don’t want to run into another nut job at Panda Express.